All articles by Dana Schulz

June 25, 2015

Landmarks Preservation Commission Maps 150 Years of LGBTQ History in Greenwich Village

We're right in the middle of NYC Pride Week, and this Sunday will be filled with festivities surrounding the 45th annual Pride Parade, the largest parade of its kind in the world. And in a perfectly timed decision, the Landmarks Preservation Commission announced on Tuesday that it had designated the Stonewall Inn as the city's first LGBT landmark. The LPC now has even more to share, releasing a fun new interactive map called Taking Pride, which documents 150 years of LGBTQ history in Greenwich Village, the hub for gay activism in the city, and even the world.
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June 25, 2015

100 Years Ago the BMT Subway Changed Brooklyn; New App Gives Access to Clean Public Bathrooms

Here’s an interview with Ghislaine Viñas Interior Design, notable for their colorful and whimsical designs, as well as an inside look at their work studio. [Design Milk] A new app called SpotPog lets Brooklynites identify street parking spots, reserve them, and offer a spot to someone else. [Next City] Another app, this one called Looie, gives users access […]

June 24, 2015

Following a Meticulous Renovation, Philip Johnson’s Wiley House Is on the Market for $14M

The listing says it's "perhaps the ultimate Mid-Century Modern home available in the world." We can't confirm or deny that statement, but we can assure you that this property, Philip Johnson's Wiley House, is a pretty incredible piece of modern architecture. Located in New Canaan, the same Connecticut town as the architect's world-famous Glass House, the Wiley House is considered the most "livable" of all Johnson's works. It was built in the 1950s, sits on six acres of land, and is "a transparent glass rectangle cantilevered over a stone podium," according to the Wall Street Journal. Wall Street executive Frank Gallipoli bought the property for $1 million in 1994, a time when buying modernist homes was not as popular as it is today. He then spent millions more to restore the property, preserving Johnson's original design, but adding green upgrades like heat-insulating glass panes and floor heating. Gallipoli told the Journal that living in the home is like being "up in a treehouse."
Check out the rest of this amazing property
June 24, 2015

Looking at NYC’s 10 Scenic Landmarks and What Sets Them Apart from Other Public Parks

Since 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the New York City landmarks law, we've been talking a lot about historic buildings–those that have been saved, those that were destroyed, secrets of some of the city's most famous spots. We even discovered that there are two landmarked individual trees. And starting tomorrow, the New York City Parks Department is hosting a new exhibit at the Arsenal in Central Park called Living Landmarks, which takes a look at nine of the city's ten scenic landmarks, showcasing "their contributions to landscape design and to the dynamism of the city through historical and contemporary photography, renderings, maps, artifacts, and memorabilia." Many of these, like Central Park, Prospect Park, and Bryant Park, are no brainers, while others like Verdi Square, Fort Tryon, and Ocean Parkway, are a little more under-the-radar.
See the rest and find out what makes these public spaces landmark-worthy
June 24, 2015

Whole Foods Is Ripping Us Off; The Strange Collections Jay Maisel Left Behind at 190 Bowery

Keith Haring’s six-story Statue of Liberty mural is going up for auction. [NYP] Turns out there is some validity to the “Whole Paycheck” nickname for Whole Foods. The grocery store has been overcharging for pre-packaged foods. [Gothamist] Past and present: Manhattan Beach’s “Apartcot” bungalow colony. [Brownstoner] According to an interview with real estate investor Aby […]

June 24, 2015

POLL: How Do You Like the Nordstrom Tower’s New Name, Central Park Tower?

We knew the name Nordstrom Tower wasn’t going to stick; the unofficial moniker came only from the fact that the building will have a Nordstrom department store at its base. And just a week after news hit that the supertall from Extell will be the country’s highest by roof height, we’ve learned the official name: Central Park […]

June 24, 2015

Renderings Revealed for Pacific Park Mega-Development’s Eight-Acre Green Space

Formerly known as Atlantic Yards, Pacific Park Brooklyn will be a 22-acre site anchored by the Barclays Center in Prospect Heights and containing eight million square feet of mixed-use development that includes 16 condo towers and 2,250 units of affordable housing, as well as an eight-acre park. Almost a year ago, developers Forest City Ratner Companies and Greenland USA (now merged as Greenland Forest City Partners) announced that they'd chosen Thomas Balsley Associates to design the green space. And now, we're finally seeing the first set of renderings for the public space, in addition to a master plan. The Daily News first shared the renderings, showing "the long, meandering park, which will follow the footprint of the new towers." The outdoor space will boast a public plaza and promenade, toddler and children's play areas, a bocce ball court, basketball court, dog run, glowing lanterns, sloping lawns, and a water garden.
More details ahead
June 23, 2015

3 World Trade Center Gets Update to Better Complement Its Bjarke Ingels-Designed Neighbor

Ever since starchitect Bjarke Ingels revealed renderings for 2 World Trade Center (after taking over the design from Norman Foster), the building has been the talk of the architecture world, especially since Ingels has been so generous about giving interviews to the press. The tower has now even influenced the architects of 3 World Trade Center (a.k.a. 175 Greenwich Street) to rethink their design. As Yimby reports, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners have amended their plan for the third-tallest building on the site to have a more streamlined roof, now void of its spires, to better complement 2 World Trade.
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June 23, 2015

General Lee Avenue and Other Markers Pay Tribute to Brooklyn’s Confederate Past

We've all seen the news this week regarding the debate over Confederate flags in the South following the tragedy in Charleston. But a fascinating article today from Business Insider reminds us that the issue isn't necessarily limited to the southern states. In fact, there's an homage to the Confederacy right here in Brooklyn, and it goes largely unnoticed. General Lee Avenue is a half-mile street that runs through Fort Hamilton, the city's last remaining active-duty military base, and is named for Confederate commander General Robert E. Lee, who was the base's engineer before he left for the south. Additionally, there's a plaque marking the home where Lee lived from 1841 to 1846.
Find out more here
June 23, 2015

NYPL Opens Its Outdoor Reading Rooms; Are Mets Fans Bad Spellers?

The NYPL opens its outdoor reading rooms today, complete with retro tables and chairs, loungers, and artificial grass. The design is based on a famous 1970 photo. [Gothamist] Twenty of NYC’s top interior designers share their favorite apartments. [Refinery 29] Fun, interactive timeline shows all the things built while we waited 96 years for the Second […]

June 22, 2015

Are You Rich? The Wealthometer Will Tell You

In a city like New York it's easy to feel poor. Even if you're pulling down six figures, you still probably cringe at your monthly rent and can't afford that summer share on the Hamptons. On the other side of the coin, we can just as easily start to feel richer than we are thanks to the fact that we live in the greatest city in the world and have access to opportunities that few places in the world can claim. But outside of our skewed bubble of NYC, most of us are actually just plain old middle class. As Fast Co. Exist reports, "For all that wealth inequality is now discussed in America, people consistently under- and overestimate their own place on the wealth spectrum. The wealthy think they’re middle class. The poor think they’re middle class. The actual middle class is probably struggling. One reason is that most people know people about as rich or poor as themselves, so everyone thinks they are more normal than they are." There's a new tool, however, to set us all straight. The Wealthometer, created by Harvard University economist Maximilian Kasy, has you enter your assets, and it then tells you where you fall in the distribution of wealth.
Find out more
June 20, 2015

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks from the 6sqft Staff

Beastie Boy Mike D’s Brilliant Brooklyn Townhouse Can Be Yours for $5.7M Renderings Revealed for Eliot Spitzer’s ODA-Designed Williamsburg Mega-Development Chloe Sevigny’s Former East Village Pad Is Back on the Market with a New Look New Rendering of Renzo Piano’s Soho Condos Shows a Curvy Glass Construction Own Andy Warhol’s Former Montauk Compound and Equestrian […]

June 19, 2015

Park Slope Pad Offers a Lot of Punch for Its $600k Price Tag

We can't quite pin down a design style for this super-chic Park Slope pad, but its eclectic decor makes it look like an advertisement from an Anthropologie catalog. It's not staged, though, and the lovely one-bedroom co-op at 416 4th Street can be yours for a very reasonable $599,000. That price tag also offers a wood-burning fireplace in the living room and a private deck overlooking a lush garden.
See the rest of the home
June 19, 2015

This Barge Floating in the East River Is Home to 800 Prisoners

Thanks to "Law & Order" and "Orange Is the New Black," we all think we're experts on the local prison system. But there's a lot more to incarceration than Elliot Stabler's interrogation room and the Litchfield Penitentiary. For example, we bet you didn't know there's a giant floating barge in the East River that is home to 800 prisoners? The Vernon C. Bain Center is a 47,326-ton jail barge used by the New York City Department of Corrections, located near Hunts Point in the Bronx just one mile west of the SUNY Maritime College. It was built in 1992 in New Orleans for $161 million as a means to curb overcrowding at Rikers Island. In the past, it's been a facility for traditional inmates and juveniles, but today it's used as a temporary holding and processing center.
Find out more about this floating prison
June 19, 2015

New Report Identifies 700 Miles of Unused Space Under Bridges and Elevated Platforms

The High Line may have revolutionized the adaptive reuse of the space atop elevated platforms, but what about that dead, dark space underneath? A new report from the Design Trust for Public Space in partnership with the Department of Transportation finds that the city has 700 miles of unused space under bridges, highways, and elevated subway tracks, much of which can be "transformed into valuable community assets such as small public parks, retail space and places for manufacturers to set up shop," according to Crain's.
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June 19, 2015

Live in Singer Roberta Flack’s Dakota Apartment for $9.5M

The glory days of the Dakota definitely seem to be coming to an end...legendary singer Roberta Flack has listed her apartment in the famed Upper West Side building for $9.5 million, according to the Daily News. The residence was a celebrity playground at its height–Flack counted as her neighbors John Lennon, Yoko Ono (her next-door neighbor), Leonard Bernstein, and Lauren Bacall, whose apartment also recently hit the market for $26 million. Flack, the Grammy winner who produced such songs as "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly with His Song," has lived in the Dakota for almost 40 years. So as the listing states, this is "a rare chance to acquire a historic residence, in a legendary building, from an Iconic Star."
More ahead
June 18, 2015

Bjarke Ingels Picks Up $4M Dumbo Penthouse with Views of 2 World Trade Center

When we have something to celebrate we usually do it with a glass of wine and some cake, but starchitect Bjarke Ingels is toasting his recently revealed design for 2 World Trade Center with a $3.89 million Dumbo penthouse. The Daily News reports that Ingels will be moving into the three-bedroom duplex at 205 Water Street, which offers a whopping 2,344 square feet of outdoor space, spread across four terraces, that provides the perfect view of the architect's impending Financial District tower. The sellers of the industrial-chic pad are interior designer and lifestyle guru Athena Calderone and her music producer husband, DJ Victor Calderone, who bought the home for $2.3 million in 2012 and originally listed it for $4.3 million back in January.
Take a look around the impressive home
June 18, 2015

Lucky Family Lives in a Cabin with a Meadow…on the Roof of Their West Village Building

Most New Yorkers looking for a bit of suburban living move to areas of Brooklyn like Ditmas Park that offer free-standing houses with yards, or they abandon ship altogether and pack it in for Jersey or Westchester. But this lucky family fulfilled their country dreams–complete with a cottage and attached porch, green meadow, and stone garden walkway–without leaving the island of Manhattan. Located at 719 Greenwich Street, in the heart of the West Village, this bucolic dwelling isn't visible from the street. Instead, you'll need to take a helicopter ride to scope it out, which is exactly how photographer George Steinmetz discovered this one-of-a-kind rooftop paradise.
Get the scoop on this unusual home
June 18, 2015

This Poster Displays All 468 Subway Station Signs

For all intents and purposes, we do not want any visual of the subway hanging in our apartments. The grimy stations don't really complement our decor, and we'd prefer not to be reminded of the daily bloodbath that is trying to squeeze onto the 6 train. But this poster is the exception to our no-MTA-in-the-house rule. Printed using 11 Pantone® spot colors, this snappy piece of wall art displays all 468 subway station signs throughout the city, arranged in alphabetical order. It was designed by Hamish Smyth, one member of the duo who reprinted Massimo Vignelli's iconic Standards Manual last year. Once again inspired by Vignelli's graphic visual approach, Smyth created the new poster because he feels "this is an iconic design that should be remembered and celebrated, and we think a beautifully printed poster is a great way to get it into many people's hands."
Find out how to get your own copy and watch a video from the design team
June 18, 2015

Little Italy Townhouse Designed by the Novogratz Duo Is Looking for a New Bachelor

When millionaire private investor and socialite Bradley Zipper bought this Little Italy townhouse in 2004, he wanted a massive bachelor pad where he could host celebrity soirees and lavish business events for up to 400 people. After dropping $3,385,000 on the property, he hired Cortney and Robert Novogratz, the famous husband-and-wife design team, to deck it out. The result is certainly A-list worthy, with its 900-bottle wine cellar that's a replica of one in a Meatpacking District club, a 14-foot mahogany and pewter bar shipped over from Paris, and a vintage 1940s pool table surrounded by graphite walls. But despite this intense personalization, Zipper started trying to unload the house two years ago, first for $15 million, then $13 million, next as a $35,000/month rental, and now it's back for $15.5 million.
See what else this party pad has to offer
June 17, 2015

Help Count How Many Street Trees Are in NYC

Just a couple of months ago, we shared a fun map that lets users explore New York City's 592,130 street trees by species and trunk thickness. Brooklyn web developer Jill Hubley used data from the 2005-2006 Street Tree Census to create the map, but a lot of trees have come and gone in the past nine years. This time around, the Parks Department is crowdsourcing to count the city's street trees as part of its Trees Count! 2015 project. As Brooklyn Magazine reports, "Participants will be armed like park rangers, walking around different neighborhoods with tree identification guides and tape measures, recording data that will eventually trickle into an interactive map that encompasses all five boroughs."
Find out how you can get in on the action
June 17, 2015

What Lena Dunham Would Do in the Lowline; Can Zoning Stop Chain Stores?

https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/assets/003/998/006/1e2746d1af55164eb07a0c4058a93465_h264_high.mp4   As part of their Kickstarter campaign, the Lowline has released a fun video starring none other than Lena Dunham. Watch her eat sandwiches and play with kids in the future subterranean park. [The Lowline] This man rebuilt Harlem during the 1920s in virtual reality. [The Atlantic] You can win an overnight stay on […]